Collecting electric scooters

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for collecting electric scooters are described herein. In some embodiments, the systems and methods facilitate a “snaking” configuration of attaching, coupling, or fixing multiple electric scooters to one another. The snaking configuration enables multiple electric scooters to be collected together and moved to various locations, such as locations where the electric scooters can be rented, serviced, and so on. Further, the systems and methods enable any electric scooter to act as a collecting scooter, and thus a scooter share service or other fleet of scooters can manage the collection and provisioning of scooters in a location without special vehicles or equipment, among other benefits.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/211,655 filed Mar. 24, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,634,188 issued Apr.25, 2023, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/993,912, filed on Mar. 24, 2020, which are incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

There are many ways to get around a city. A person can walk, drive,travel by bus, tram, subway, taxi, or hire a car share service. A personcan also rent or use various individual modes of transportation, such asmopeds, bikes (e.g., e-bikes or ebikes), scooters, skateboards (electricskateboards) and/or other micro-mobility vehicles or devices. Forexample, many cities provide residents and visitors with bike share andscooter share services, such as services that enable people to rentbikes or electric scooters when traveling short distances within a city.

While these services provide people with numerous benefits, currentinstallations and provisioning of bike and scooter shares suffer fromvarious drawbacks. For example, services that provide the docking ofbikes or scooters can take up a large footprint within a city orneighborhood, such as in areas where any extra space can be utilized forparking, footpaths, and so on. As another example, services that providedock-less bikes and scooters enable users to simply leave their rentedbikes and scooters in the middle of sidewalks, in yards, and otherundesirable locations. Further, left-behind bikes and scooters can bedamaged or stolen.

There are various possible drawbacks associated with providing acommunity with hundreds or thousands of electric scooters for use inshare services. Some of these drawbacks are due to users finishing theirrides on the scooters and simply leaving the scooter on a sidewalk orstreet or park (even with docking stations available to return thescooters). Thus, after a certain time period of use, a location orcommunity may have many scooters scattered across an area. Typically,share services can work to collect the scooters and return them tostations or other designated pickup or drop-off locations. However, suchcollection may rely on trucks or other large vehicles to collect thescooters in an inefficient manner.

These and other drawbacks exist with respect to electric scooters andelectric scooter share services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a group of collected electric scooters.

FIGS. 2A-2B are diagrams illustrating a suitable electric scooter.

FIGS. 3A-3B are diagrams illustrating a snaking configuration forelectric scooters.

FIGS. 4A-4C are diagrams illustrating an electric scooter havingvertical attachment components.

FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using a charging port connector.

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using an integrated connecting rod.

FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using an integrated swivel connector.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a scooter management system andassociated electric scooters.

FIG. 9 is a display diagram illustrating an example user interfacepresented to a collector of electric scooters.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for operatingan electric scooter.

In the drawings, some components are not drawn to scale, and somecomponents and/or operations can be separated into different blocks orcombined into a single block for discussion of some of theimplementations of the present technology. Moreover, while thetechnology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms,specific implementations have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, isnot to limit the technology to the particular implementations described.On the contrary, the technology is intended to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the technologyas defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Systems and methods for collecting electric scooters are describedherein. In some embodiments, the systems and methods facilitate a“snaking” configuration of attaching, coupling, or fixing multipleelectric scooters to one another. The snaking configuration enables manyscooters (e.g., two or more) to be collected together and moved tovarious locations, such as locations where the electric scooters can berented, serviced, and so on. Further, the systems and methods enable anyscooter to act as a collecting scooter, and thus a scooter share servicecan manage the collection and provisioning of scooters in a locationwithout special vehicles or equipment, among other benefits.

In some embodiments, an electric scooter is fitted with hardwarecomponents that facilitate the vertical (e.g., end to end) or lateral(e.g., side by side) joining of the electric scooter to one or moreother electric scooters. For example, an electric scooter can include achassis containing an electric battery, a controller, and one or moreexternal charging ports, a deck disposed on top of the chassis, asteering tube attached to the chassis, handlebars supported by thesteering tube, a front wheel, a back wheel, and one or two hub motorsfixed to the front wheel and/or the back wheel and controlled by thecontroller, and one or more attachment components that facilitateattachment of the electric scooter to another electric scooter.

The attachment components can be bars, arms and/or reception componentsthat move or rotate to fix one electric scooter to another. For example,an electric scooter can have a vertical attachment component (e.g., awishbone-shaped bar or arm) configured to vertically attach a frontportion of the electric scooter to a rear portion of another electricscooter, a vertical reception component (e.g., groove or claw)configured to facilitate attachment of another electric scooter to arear portion of the electric scooter, and/or a lateral attachmentcomponent (e.g., post, swivel bar, rod, and so on) configured tolaterally attach the chassis of the electric scooter to a chassis ofanother electric scooter.

Further, the electric scooter can operate in a collection mode or otherneutral mode of operation upon being collected or retrieved. Forexample, a method of collecting multiple electric scooters from ageographic location can include attaching a first electric scooter to asecond electric scooter by vertically attaching a front portion of thesecond electric scooter to a rear portion of the first electric scooterand attaching a third electric scooter to the second electric scooter bylaterally attaching a chassis of the third electric scooter to a chassisof the second electric scooter, and/or attaching a fourth electricscooter to the third electric scooter by vertically attaching a frontportion of the fourth electric scooter to a rear portion of the thirdelectric scooter. In some cases, the method causes the first electricscooter, the second electric scooter, the third electric scooter, and/orthe fourth electric scooter to operate in a collection mode of operationwhen attached to the other electric scooters.

In some embodiments, a scooter collection system communicates with afleet of electric scooters and determines or identifies an order orconfiguration of the electric scooters when they are collected. Forexample, a method can identify multiple electric scooters in ageographical area to be collected from the geographical area, determinean order of coupling the identified multiple electric scooters based oncurrent characteristics for the identified multiple electric scooters,and present the determined order of coupling the identified multipleelectric scooters to a user that is collecting the identified multipleelectric scooters from the geographical area.

Thus, the systems and methods described herein enable an efficient andcost-effective retrieval and collection of electric scooters within alocation or area, without requiring additional vehicles, among otherbenefits. The snaking of electric scooters, therefore, can assist inproviding dock-less scooter share services to users by facilitating theretrieval of scooters that have been abandoned or left at disparatelocations in an area, among other benefits.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of implementations of the present technology. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that implementations of thepresent technology can be practiced without some of these specificdetails. The phrases “in some implementations,” “according to someimplementations,” “in the implementations shown,” “in otherimplementations,” and the like generally mean the particular feature,structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in atleast one implementation of the present technology and can be includedin more than one implementation. In addition, such phrases do notnecessarily refer to the same implementations or differentimplementations.

Examples of Coupling and Collecting Electric Scooters

Several implementations of coupling and collecting electric scooterswill now be discussed. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a group ofcollected electric scooters 100. The group of electric scooters 100includes a leader electric scooter 105 positioned at a front of a groupor snake of scooters. The leader 105 is coupled to trailing or followerelectric scooters 110, such as scooters coupled in a verticalconfiguration 120 or a lateral (horizontal) configuration 125.

As depicted, when electric scooters are grouped, attached, coupled, orfixed laterally, associated vertical attachments can alternate. In otherwords, a single electric scooter within the snake of scooters, in somecases, can attached to other scooters at two attachment points or fewer.Thus, an electric scooter, in some cases, can attach to one scooter invertical direction (either front or back) when also laterally attachedto another scooter, or can laterally attached to two electric scooters(one on either side of the scooter) without being vertically attached toother scooters.

Further, in some cases, a group or snake of scooters can be limited to 7or fewer vertically attached scooters (e.g., scooters in the verticalconfiguration 120) and can be limited to 4 or fewer total scooters(e.g., scooters in the lateral configuration 125). Thus, given thevarious ways to attach or couple scooters to one another, a snake orgroup of electric scooters can be utilized to collect small groups ofscooters (e.g., two to ten scooters) and also accommodate many scooters(e.g., ten or more) when being collected and moved out of a collectionlocation or area.

Examples of Suitable Electric Scooters

FIGS. 2A-2B depict an electric scooter 200 suitable for being coupled,fixed, attached, or connected to other electric scooters. The electricscooter 200 is generally a powered stand-up scooter, propelled by anelectric motor. Electric scooters can also be referred to as electrickick scooters, e-scooters, motorized scooters, and so on. Typically, anelectric scooter includes two (or more) small wheels (e.g., hard orsolid tires, air tires, foam filled tires), such as a front wheel 210and a rear wheel 220. For example, an electric scooter can have twowheels (e.g., one front and one rear), three wheels (e.g., two frontwheels), four wheels (e.g., two front and two rear wheels), and so on.Further, the electric scooter 200 includes a foldable or non-foldablesteering tube 230 that supports handlebars 235 and extends to a fork 215that fixes the front wheel 210 to the scooter 200.

The scooter 200 also includes a chassis 240 having a deck 245 thatsupports a rider of the scooter 200 (e.g., the rider stands on the deck245). The scooter 200 can also include a down tube connected to a headtube, inside of which turns the steering tube 230 connects to a stemattached to the handlebars 235. The steering tube 230 can extend throughthe chassis 240 to the fork 215. In addition, the electric scooter 200can include fenders, trailer hitches, brakes, lights, and otheraccessories or components.

The electric scooter 200 can include a housing 250 that contains atransmission or drive system, a control system or controller, a brakingsystem, a suspension system, and a battery pack or packs, and anelectric motor 260, such as a front and/or back wheel hub motor. In somecases, some or all of the components or systems can be contained by thehousing 250, the chassis 240, or both. A charging post or port 255 isattached to the housing 250.

The electric scooter 200 may also include various computing systems andcomponents, such as the various computing systems described herein, GPSor positioning systems, communication components, and so on. Forexample, an electric scooter can include computing systems andidentification components that facilitate or enable the electric scooteras an Internet of Things (e.g., IoT) device networked to other scootersand one or more control or communication systems.

The systems, components, and techniques introduced here can beimplemented by electric scooters, docking stations, and/or associatedsystems as or via special-purpose hardware (for example, circuitry), asprogrammable circuitry appropriately programmed with software and/orfirmware, or as a combination of special-purpose and programmablecircuitry. Hence, implementations can include a computer- ormachine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which can beused to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform aprocess. The machine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to,floppy diskettes, optical discs, compact disc read-only memories(CD-ROMs), magneto-optical disks, ROMs, random access memories (RAMs),erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards,flash memory, or other types of media/machine-readable medium suitablefor storing electronic instructions.

In some embodiments, the electric scooter 200 also includes attachmentcomponents, such as a rear attachment component 270, a front attachmentbar or arm 272, and a lateral attachment component 275. As describedherein, the rear attachment component 270 can be a groove, claw, orother device or mechanism configured to receive an arm or bar fromanother scooter when the electric scooter 200 is vertically attached tothe other scooter.

The front attachment bar or arm 272 can be configured into a variety ofshapes, such as a bar shape, a wishbone-shape, and so on. The frontattachment bar or arm 272 is fixed or attached to the steering tube 230of the electric scooter and/or other components that rotate or swivel,such as the fork 115. As described herein, the front attachment bar orarm 272 can move into multiple position, such as a vertical position(e.g., parallel to a long axis of the steering tube 230) when theelectric scooter 200 is not attached to another scooter, and ahorizontal or extended position when the electric scooter 200 isvertically attached to another scooter.

The lateral attachment component 275 facilitates a lateral or horizontalattachment of the electric scooter 200 to other scooters. For example,the lateral attachment component 275 can be a rod, arm, or bar thatextends, swivels, or rotates to be fixed between scooters in order tocouple the scooters to one another (e.g., coupling the chassis of onescooter to the chassis of another scooter). In some cases, the lateralattachment component 275 is a separate or external component, thatattaches to external components (e.g., a charging port 255 of thescooters when laterally coupling scooters to one another.

Examples of Coupling or Attaching Electric Scooters

In some implementations, the electric scooters can be configured and/ordesigned to facilitate a snaking of scooters when coupled together. This“snaking” enables the scooters to be coupled as a train of multiplescooters. Snaking can include attaching scooters together vertically, orat or near a main chassis with each other, where there is around 1degree of freedom from each other (e.g., a low degree of warp).

As described herein, in some embodiments, the collecting of electricscoters includes connecting scooters in vertical or lateralconfigurations or directions. FIGS. 3A-3B are diagrams illustrating asnaking configuration 300 for electric scooters. The snakingconfiguration 300 includes electric scooters attached, connected, fixed,and/or coupled in a vertical configuration 310 (via a verticalattachment component 315) and/or a lateral configuration 320 (via alateral attachment component 325).

In some cases, the snake configuration 300 is formed by groups ofelectric scooters vertically connected being alternately coupled in thelateral direction to maintain a narrow or defined column of scooters.For example, as depicted in FIG. 3B, both scooters of a verticalcoupling of scooters 330 are laterally attached to other scooters via aleft side of the scooters (e.g., attached at a left side of a chassisthe scooters), whereas both scooters of a different vertical coupling ofscooters 340 are laterally attached to other scooters via a right sideof the scooters. In such a configuration, the snake maintains atwo-scooter sized width by alternating the attachment sides of thevertical groups of scooters.

Of course, the snake configuration 100 can take on various otherconfigurations or sizes, including widths that are four or more scooterswide, or lengths that are two or more scooters long (e.g., upwards often or more scooters)

Thus, by providing scooters that include attachment componentsconfigured to vertically and/or laterally attach to other scooters, thesystems and methods described herein can facilitate collecting scootersutilizing such configurations. For example, a method of collectingmultiple electric scooters from a geographic location can includeattaching a first electric scooter to a second electric scooter byvertically attaching a front portion of the second electric scooter to arear portion of the first electric scooter and attaching a thirdelectric scooter to the second electric scooter by laterally attaching achassis of the third electric scooter to a chassis of the secondelectric scooter. Then, if an additional scooter is to be collected, themethod can attach a fourth electric scooter to the third electricscooter by vertically attaching a front portion of the fourth electricscooter to a rear portion of the third electric scooter.

In some cases, the method causes the first electric scooter, the secondelectric scooter, and/or the third electric scooter to operate in acollection mode of operation when attached to the other electricscooters. For example, the method can cause the first electric scooterto operate in a leader collection mode of operation when attached to theother electric scooters and cause the second electric scooter and thethird electric scooter to operate in a follower collection mode ofoperation when attached to the other electric scooters. Further detailsregarding modes of operation for electric scooters when being collectedare described herein.

As described herein, an electric scooter can include a chassiscontaining an electric battery, a controller, and one or more externalcharging ports, a deck disposed on top of the chassis, a steering tubeattached to the chassis, handlebars supported by the steering tube, afront wheel, a back wheel, and a hub motor fixed to the back and/orfront wheel and controlled by the controller, and one or more attachmentcomponents that facilitate attachment of the electric scooter to anotherelectric scooter. In some cases, the attachment components include avertical attachment component configured to vertically attach a frontportion of the electric scooter to a rear portion of another electricscooter and a vertical reception component configured to facilitateattachment of another electric scooter to a rear portion of the electricscooter.

FIGS. 4A-4C depict the vertical attachment of electric scooters. In FIG.4A, an electric scooter 400 is vertically attached or coupled to anotherelectric scooter 405. A vertical link bar or arm 410, fixed to a frontportion of the electric scooter 405, is in an extended (coupling)position and attached to a rear link component 420 (e.g., a ball joint)of the electric scooter 400. For example, the vertical link bar 410 canhave a wishbone shape, where each portion of a U-shape attachmentsection is attached to either side of a steering tube of the electricscooter 400, 405.

For example, the rear link component 420 can act as a hitch and isshaped to receive an extended end of the link bar 410, which attaches oris otherwise removably fixed to the rear link component 420. Forexample, the extended end can include a cap or knob, which preventsmovement of the link bar 410 when the link bar 410 slides into anopening of the real link component 420. Thus, the electric scooter 405,in some cases, is hitched to the electric scooter 400 in a verticaldirection.

FIG. 4B depicts the vertical link bar 410 in an extended or hitchingposition. FIG. 4C depicts the vertical link bar 410 in a stowed orvertical position, where the link bar 410 is oriented parallel to a longaxis of the steering tube of the electric scooters 400, 405. In such aposition, the link bar 410 is stowed when the electric scooter is beingdriven by a rider. In the extended position, the vertical link bar 410is in a hitching or attachment position, where the electric scooter canhitch to another electric scooter via the link bar 410.

Thus, in some embodiments, the electric scooter can include the verticallink bar 410, which is movably fixed to the steering tube and shaped tolink to a rear portion of another electric scooter, and a rear linkcomponent (e.g., a rear hitch) 420 that is fixed to a rear portion ofthe chassis and configured to receive the vertical link bar 410 ofanother electric scooter. The vertical link bar 410 can have a wishboneshape that attaches to the steering tube of the electric scooter suchthat it can be moved into multiple positions, including a collection orextended position, in which the vertical link bar 410 extends in ahorizontal direction away from the steering tube, and a ride or stowedposition, in which the vertical link bar 410 extends in a verticaldirection parallel to a long axis of the steering tube.

Thus, the scooters can be coupled side by side via a ball joint and avertical swivel between scooters (e.g., between a scooter in front andbehind the scooter). The vertical swivel joint is attached to the forkor stem (e.g., link bar 4100 and the ball joint (component 420) on therear of a scooter ahead of the scooter. Thus, each scooter in the snakefollows the path of the scooter ahead of it, while also being able tomove enough to navigate bumps in the terrain.

In some cases, the attachment components of the electric scooter includea lateral attachment component configured to laterally or axially attachthe chassis of the electric scooter to a chassis of another electricscooter. The lateral attachment component can attach one chassis toanother in a staggered fashion (where one scooter is slightly moreforward than the other), which allows one scooter to follow anotherscooter while they are laterally or axially connected.

The electric scooters, coupled together, can form a parallel path toeach other when transported, while also moving within that degree offreedom to navigate bumps and irregularities in a road surface alongwhich they are being transported.

FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using a charging port connector. In FIG. 5A, an external spanbar 510 attaches to an external charging port 255 of the electricscooter 200 and an external charging port 255 of another electricscooter 200 to laterally attach the chassis of the electric scooter to achassis of the other electric scooter.

The external span bar 510 is shown in FIGS. 5B-5B. The bar 510 includesconnection ends 530 disposed at ends of a connection arm 520. Theconnection ends 530 are shaped to wrap at least partially around thecharging ports 255 of the electric scooter 200. Further, the ends 530are positioned on the connection arm 520 in an offset spacing from oneanother, allowing for a staggered coupling of two scooters (e.g. oneleading the other), while also providing sufficient spacing between thescooters.

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using an integrated connecting rod 610. The connecting rod 610extends from an internal area 620 of the chassis 240 (such as proximateto a kick stand) and is configured to laterally attach the chassis ofthe electric scooter to a chassis of another electric scooter. Forexample, the rod 610 includes an end cap 615 that, when the rod 610 isrotated using a rotation bar 625, causes the rod 610 to be fixed withina reception port or opening 630 of the chassis of the other electricscooter.

FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating lateral coupling of electricscooters using an integrated swivel connector 710. The swivel connector710 or bar is fixed to the deck 245 of the chassis 240 and rotates fromthe deck of the chassis to laterally attach the chassis of the electricscooter to a chassis of another electric scooter.

For example, the swivel bar 710 can include a swivel end 715 that has alocking pin or coupling mechanism. When rotated and positioned over thedeck of another scooter, the end 715 can be inserted with receptionport, opening, or hole 720 of the other scooter, such as a hole disposedwith the deck of the other scooter. In some cases, a scooter can includetwo or more swivel bars 710, and the scooters are laterally attached viaone or more of the swivel bars 710, or each swivel bar 710 is used tocouple to a different scooter.

In some cases, a three-wheel or four-wheel scooter can also utilizelateral attachment components to form a grouping of scooters. Thesescooters can utilize the lateral attachment components described herein.Further, since these scooters often have two front wheels, one scootercan be positioned above another scooter (e.g. raised with respect to theother scooter), with the lateral attachment components attaching thechassis of the raised scooter to the chassis of the scooter on theground (to avoid the wheels from getting in the way of the coupling).

Examples of Controlling Electric Scooters

As described herein, in some embodiments, the systems and methodsfacilitate the efficient and enhanced collection of electric scootersfrom various areas or locations. The systems and methods can utilize ascooter management system, such as a system that communicates withelectric scooters and performs various processes associated withmanaging, collecting, and snaking the electric scooters.

FIG. 8 is a diagram 800 illustrating a scooter management system 810 andassociated electric scooters 820-826. In some cases, the scootermanagement system 810 and the scooters 820-826 are part of a scootershare service or other fleet of scooters, such as a fleet of scootersprovided by a delivery company.

The scooter management system 810 includes various components configuredto communicate with the scooters 820-826 over a network 825, such as awireless or cellular communications network. As described herein, thescooters 820-826 can act as IoT devices managed by the system 810.

In some cases, the system 810 includes a user interface 815, whichprovides information about the managed electric scooters 820-826 and/orreceives input from users to facilitate performing management actions onbehalf of the scooters 820-286 and/or the associated fleet or scootershare service. For example, the system 810 can perform various actionsassociated with collecting the electric scooters 820-826, such aslocation identification of the scooters, capturing certain usecharacteristics of the scooters, determining a current charge level ofthe batteries of the scooters, and so on.

FIG. 9 is a display diagram illustrating an example user interface 900presented to a collector of electric scooters. The collector, havingaccess to the user interface 815 of the scooter management system 810(via a mobile application on a tablet, laptop, smart phone, or othermobile device), can provide input that initiates a scooter collectionevent for one or more scooters.

The interface performs an action or process to identify multipleelectric scooters in the geographical area to be collected from thegeographical area, determine an order of coupling the identifiedmultiple electric scooters based on current characteristics for theidentified multiple electric scooters, and present the determined orderof coupling the identified multiple electric scooters to a user that iscollecting the identified multiple electric scooters from thegeographical area.

For example, the user can enter a location (“main street”) into the userinterface 815. The system 810 searches for scooters to be collected andpresents information 910 that identifies the scooters (e.g., scooter ID925) to be collected 920-926 at the location 915. Further, the system810 polls or otherwise accesses characteristics about the scooters920-926 to determine an order 930 of coupling the scooters in the snakeor connection configuration. The user interface can then present thesuggested or determined order 930 of coupling, identifying a leaderscooter (e.g., scooter #A325) and other trailing scooters (e.g., #A225,#A123, #B087).

The system 810 can order the scooters in a variety of ways. For example,the system 810 can select a scooter as a leader scooter when the scooterhas the highest relative level of charge, the highest relative torquefunction, or when the scooter is closest to the collector. The system810 can order scooters based on charge levels (e.g., highest chargedscooters are placed at a front and back of the grouping), based oncommon generation/make/type, and so on.

In some cases, sufficiently charged electric scooters can assist otherscooters having low battery levels, which can may utilize slight amountsof regenerative motor braking to recharge their batteries to a survivallevel or sufficient charge level. Also, the electric scooter can emit acertain color of light, for a certain duration, when coupled or incollection mode, to assist in safely communicating a size of thegrouping of scooters, a direction to be traveled, a braking occurrence,and/or to represent the brand of scooter, the share service, the fleet,and other entity providing the scooter.

As described herein, in some embodiments, an electric scooter canoperate in a collection mode of operation, such as when the scooter ispart of a snake configuration or otherwise coupled to one or more otherscooters. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method 1000for operating an electric scooter. Aspects of the method 1000 may beperformed by an electric scooter and, accordingly, is described hereinmerely by way of reference thereto. It will be appreciated that themethod 1000 may be performed on any suitable hardware, such as thescooter management system 810.

In operation 1010, an electric scooter accesses context informationassociated with the scooter. For example, the electric scooter 400 candetermine another electric scooter 405 is proximate to and/or coupled tothe electric scooter 400. As another example, the electric scooter candetermine that the scooter has been identified by the system 810 as incollection mode, or can determine an attachment component (e.g., linkbar 410) has been moved to an attachment position.

In operation 1020, the electric scooter determines it is part of acollection event. For example, based on the context information oractions performed with components of the scooter, the scooter 400determines it is being collected with one or more other scooters.

In operation 1030, the electric scooter modifies a current mode ofoperation to a collection mode of operation. For example, the electricscooter 400 causes its drive train or hub motor to switch to a neutralmode of operation. Thus, in some cases, the controller of the electricscooter 400 is configured to cause the hub motor to operate in acollection mode of operation upon engagement of one or more of theattachment components of the electric scooter, or when the electricscooter is coupled to another electric scooter via the one or moreattachment components.

Further, in some cases, a group of electric scooters can work as asingle entity when coupled together as described herein. When connectedphysically or wirelessly over a network or local communication channels,the scooters can act to perform scooter functions (e.g., braking,accelerating, decelerating) when the first or a lead scooter performsthe function. For example, when a leader scooter brakes, all otherconnected scooters brake. For example, a scooter can remain activelyneutral. When a first or leader scooter accelerates, the followingscooters can accelerate at the same rate of acceleration. The scooterscan be actively biased in either direction of the grouping, depending onthe needs of the other scooters in the grouping.

Thus, as described herein, an electric scooter can include componentsthat facilitate the combining of scooters into various configurations orgroupings, in order to facilitate efficient and easy collection ofscooters, among other benefits. Various systems can assist intransporting grouped scooters, such as scooter management systems, andsystems that modify operation modes of scooters when being collected,allowing for safe transport and collection, among other benefits.

CONCLUSION

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling ofconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall referto this application as a whole and not to any particular portions ofthis application. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of implementations of the system is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the system to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific implementations of, and examples for,the system are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the system, asthose skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, somenetwork elements are described herein as performing certain functions.Those functions could be performed by other elements in the same ordiffering networks, which could reduce the number of network elements.Alternatively, or additionally, network elements performing thosefunctions could be replaced by two or more elements to perform portionsof those functions. In addition, while processes, message/data flows, orblocks are presented in a given order, alternative implementations mayperform routines having blocks, or employ systems having blocks, in adifferent order; and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved,added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative orsubcombinations. Each of these processes, message/data flows, or blocksmay be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processesor blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, theseprocesses or blocks may instead be performed in parallel or may beperformed at different times. Further, any specific numbers noted hereinare only examples: alternative implementations may employ differingvalues or ranges.

The teachings of the methods and system provided herein can be appliedto other systems, not necessarily the system described above. Theelements, blocks and acts of the various implementations described abovecan be combined to provide further implementations.

Any patents, applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the technology can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further implementations of thetechnology.

These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain implementations of the technology, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theinvention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the technology disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the technology should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the technology with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific implementationsdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed implementations, butalso all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the inventionunder the claims.

I/We claim:
 1. An electric scooter, comprising: a chassis that includesan electric battery and a controller; a deck disposed on top of thechassis; a steering tube attached to a front wheel fork through thechassis; handlebars supported by the steering tube; a front wheelattached to the front wheel fork; a back wheel attached to a rear of thechassis; a hub motor fixed to the back wheel or front wheel andcontrolled by the controller; and a vertical link bar that attaches tothe steering tube of the electric scooter such that it can be moved intomultiple positions, including: a collection position, in which thevertical link bar extends in a horizontal direction away from thesteering tube; and a ride position, in which the vertical link barextends in a vertical direction parallel to a long axis of the steeringtube.
 2. The electric scooter of claim 1, further comprising: a lateralattachment component configured to laterally attach the chassis of theelectric scooter to a chassis of another electric scooter.
 3. Theelectric scooter of claim 1, further comprising: a vertical receptioncomponent configured to facilitate attachment of another electricscooter to a rear portion of the electric scooter.
 4. The electricscooter of claim 1, further comprising: a rear link component that isfixed to a rear portion of the chassis and configured to receive avertical link bar of another electric scooter.
 5. The electric scooterof claim 1, further comprising: a connecting rod that extends from aninternal area of the chassis and is configured to laterally attach thechassis of the electric scooter to a chassis of another electricscooter.
 6. The electric scooter of claim 1, further comprising: anexternal span bar that attaches to one of the one or more externalcharging ports of the electric scooter and an external charging port ofanother electric scooter to laterally attach the chassis of the electricscooter to a chassis of the another electric scooter.
 7. The electricscooter of claim 1, further comprising: a swivel bar that is coupled tothe deck of the chassis and rotates from the deck of the chassis tolaterally attach the chassis of the electric scooter to a chassis ofanother electric scooter.
 8. The electric scooter of claim 1, whereinthe controller of the electric scooter is configured to cause the hubmotor to operate in a collection mode of operation upon movement of thevertical link bar into the collection position.
 9. The electric scooterof claim 1, wherein the controller of the electric scooter is configuredto cause the hub motor to operate in a collection mode of operation whenthe electric scooter is physically coupled to another electric scootervia the vertical link bar.
 10. A method of collecting electric scooters,the method comprising: attaching a first electric scooter to a secondelectric scooter by vertically attaching a front portion of the secondelectric scooter to a rear portion of the first electric scooter; andattaching a third electric scooter to the second electric scooter bylaterally attaching a chassis of the third electric scooter to a chassisof the second electric scooter.
 11. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: attaching a fourth electric scooter to the third electricscooter by vertically attaching a front portion of the fourth electricscooter to a rear portion of the third electric scooter.
 12. The methodof claim 10, further comprising: causing the first electric scooter, thesecond electric scooter, and the third electric scooter to operate in acollection mode of operation when attached to the other electricscooters.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: causing thefirst electric scooter to operate in a leader collection mode ofoperation when attached to the other electric scooters; and, causing thesecond electric scooter and the third electric scooter to operate in afollower collection mode of operation when attached to the otherelectric scooters.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein verticallyattaching the front portion of the second electric scooter to the rearportion of the first electric scooter includes attaching a vertical linkbar movably coupled to a steering tube of the second electric scooter toa rear link component fixed to a rear portion of the first electricscooter.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein laterally attaching achassis of the third electric scooter to a chassis of the secondelectric scooter includes laterally attaching the chassis of the thirdelectric scooter to the chassis of the second electric scooter via aconnecting rod.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein laterally attachinga chassis of the third electric scooter to a chassis of the secondelectric scooter includes laterally attaching the chassis of the thirdelectric scooter to the chassis of the second electric scooter via aswivel bar.
 17. The method of claim 10, wherein laterally attaching achassis of the third electric scooter to a chassis of the secondelectric scooter includes laterally attaching the chassis of the thirdelectric scooter to the chassis of the second electric scooter via anexternal link bar.
 18. A method of operating a group of electricscooters coupled to one another, the method comprising: operating afirst electric scooter in a leader collection mode of operation whenattached to the other electric scooters of the group of electricscooters; and, operating a second electric scooter and a third electricscooter in a follower collection mode of operation when attached to theother electric scooters of the group of electric scooters.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the first electric scooter is verticallyattached to the second electric scooter and the third electric scooteris laterally attached to the second electric scooter.
 20. The method ofclaim 18, wherein operating the second electric scooter and the thirdelectric scooter in the follower collection mode includes operating thesecond electric scooter and the third electric scooter to performcertain scooter functions in response to the first electric scooterperforming the certain scooter functions.